Pneumatic tire with noise damper

Abstract

A tire comprising a circumferential tread having an outer tread surface and an inner innerliner surface; at least two spaced-apart beads; sidewall portions extending between the tread and the beads; and a belt-like foam noise damper having first and second terminal ends, wherein the noise damper lines said innerliner surface; wherein the noise damper is adhesively secured to the innerliner surface, and wherein the terminal ends of the noise damper are cut at an angle of less than 90 degrees, overlap each other, and the overlapped second terminal end of the foam is joined to the first terminal end by the adhesive present underneath the second terminal end.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A tire comprising:
 a circumferential tread having an outer tread surface and an inner innerliner surface;   at least two spaced-apart beads;   sidewall portions extending between the tread and the beads; and   a belt-like foam noise damper having first and second terminal ends, wherein the noise damper lines said innerliner surface; wherein the noise damper is adhesively secured to said innerliner surface, and wherein the terminal ends of said noise damper are cut at an angle of less than  90  degrees, overlap each other, and the overlapped second terminal end of the foam is joined to the first terminal end by the adhesive present underneath the second terminal end.   
     
     
         2 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein the terminal ends are cut at an angle of between about 5 degrees and about 65 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein the terminal ends are cut at an angle of between about 10 degrees and 55 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein the terminal ends are cut at an angle of about 40 degrees to 50 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein the terminal ends are cut at an angle of about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein the terminal ends are cut at the same angle. 
     
     
         7 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein the terminal ends are cut at different angles. 
     
     
         8 . A method for making a tire having a foam noise damper, the method comprising the steps of:
 A. pressing a barrier layer onto an exposed virgin surface of a green tire innerliner to adhere the barrier layer to the virgin surface and thereby form a protected green innerliner;   B. applying a mold release agent inside the tire;   C. curing the tire with protected innerliner;   D. removing the barrier layer to reveal the tire innerliner virgin surface; and   E. securing a foam noise damper having a short side and a longer side coated with adhesive on the longer side to the virgin surface where at least the one end of the foam is cut at an angle to 45 degrees and overlaps the other end of the foam cut at an angle of approximately 45°.   
     
     
         9 . A method for making a pneumatic tire having a foam noise damper, comprising the steps of:
 A. providing a pneumatic tire comprising two spaced inextensible beads; a ground contacting tread portion; a pair of individual sidewalls extending radially inward from the axial outer edges of said tread portion to join the respective beads, the axial outer edges of the tread portion defining a tread width, a supporting carcass for tread portion and sidewalls, an innermost innerliner surface;   B. installing a trapezoid shaped noise damper disposed radially inward of the carcass, the noise damper having a shorter surface facing an interior cavity of the tire;   C applying a silicone adhesive to the noise damper surface having higher surface area to form an adhesive prepared surface;   D. applying a solid foam noise reducer having ends to the tire innerliner surface where at least one end of the foam is cut at an angle to 45° and overlaps the other end of the foam cut at an angle of approximately 45°; and   E. curing the adhesive.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the tire innerliner surface includes a mold release agent where the noise damper is attached.